"For myself, I always write about Dublin, because if I can get to the heart of Dublin I can get to the heart of all the cities of the world. In the particular is contained the universal." – James Joyce (1882-1941)

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Today is Bloomsday, a day when Dublin's literary set take time to celebrate and reflect upon the life and work of Dublin-born writer, James Joyce. It is observed annually on June 16th every year, because it is the fictional events of that day which are chronicled in Joyce's novel Ulysses.

This year, like every other year since the first annual Bloomsday celebration in 1954, the streets of Dublin, despite the appalling weather which we have been having, will bear witness to a general carnival atmosphere. Some will attempt to re-trace the steps of Joyce's protagonists. Others will most like take refuge in a pub somewhere. Anyone who doesn't catch pneumonia will probably come back to do it all over again next year.